The Wargamer

Alexander the Pedigreed

I’ve played the Total War series since its inception six years ago and loved every minute of it. Shogun: Total War was a revelation when I first played it and the Mongolian Invasion expansion improved on an already great formula. Medieval: Total War and its Viking Invasion expansion are both still on my hard drive and are two of my favorite titles of all time. And Rome: Total War and its Barbarian Invasion expansion have logged hundreds of hours of game time on my machine over the last year.

So perhaps I’m a bit biased towards Creative Assembly’s series. I have always been aware of the criticisms that some reviewers and players have had against the Total War series: shoddy AI, weak diplomacy, and game speed issues, to name a few. These faults were never showstoppers for me because the Total War series has always satisfied my primary want in PC strategy gaming: fun. Each installment in the Total War series has had a slew of great features that always outweighed any possible negatives in my view. The games are immersive and atmospheric, and have a great polish that can’t be found in just any strategy game.

Now you know where I stand on the series as a whole. Some readers may have moved on by now, emphatically disagreeing with my summary. For the rest, here’s my take on Creative Assembly’s latest (and last) offering for Rome Total War: Alexander expansion.

Alexander the Hopelessly Outnumbered

Those interested in Rome Total War: Alexander most definitely know the biography of Alexander of Macedon and the history of his era (4th century BC), especially with the piquing of popular interest in his life and times in the last two or three years. However, do not expect the actual game to be like other installments of the Total War series at all. Rome Total War: Alexander is far simpler, and, some would say, less captivating or immersive, than previous installments. This is through no fault of the scenario designers; it’s just a simple reflection on the nature of the conflict portrayed.

The Greco-Persian Wars were perhaps one of the first instances in recorded history of true total war. The Greek states had been resisting Persian domination for generations, and once Alexander had finally hammered together a Greek coalition to stand up to Persia, frivolous diplomacy and subterfuge were put aside in favor of, yes, total war. This is reflected in Rome Total War: Alexander through an absence in city building, skullduggery and deal making, hallmarks all previous Total War games possessed. It’s just straight up booty-kicking here, people, and gamers who favor a “shoot first” type of game, then Rome Total War: Alexander will definitely tickle their fancy. I found that, after a while, I missed those other aspects. Maybe I’m just a big softy.

The nature of the wars between the Greek States and Persia is reflected in the gameplay of Rome Total War: Alexander in other ways as well. Most prominently, besides the absence of certain gaming aspects, is the sheer difficulty of the goal when playing as Alexander’s faction. The Persian Army of the era was a powerhouse and numbered in the hundreds of thousands, while Alexander’s forces emphasized quality over quantity. If the player taking the reins of Alexander and the Greeks can’t handle this disparity and deal with the odds, there is going to be trouble. Big trouble. The AI in Rome Total War: Alexander is rather ruthless, and that, when coupled with the sheer force of numbers that the Persians can field both on the offensive and while defending, can lead to frustration, to say the least.

Couple the overwhelming odds with the short time frame portrayed in the game (Alexander died at age 33, after all) and Rome Total War: Alexander can become a frenzied race to the finish. This may be just what some players are looking for, however, if they did not favor the slower, more deliberate pacing of previous Total War games. Logistics still have to be considered, however, regardless of the short time period or the totality of the conflict. A case in point is the garrisoning of cities: playing as Alexander, the biggest problem that players will face is the splitting of their forces while storming eastward. Conquered cities and supply lines have to be controlled, while simultaneously keeping the Greek army strong enough to face the hordes of Persians that the AI will hurl the player’s way…no easy task.